Microsoft ran its 45-minute Xbox Developer Direct for upcoming games that would release on 25 January 2023. Compared to the Nintendo Direct and State of Play, this direct gives a more formal in-depth experience to reveal its games. Instead of just showcasing trailers and teasers, different developers explain the designs and purposes to emphasize the primary goal of their games.
The Developer Direct showcased five big games. One game, in particular, approached more with a rhythmic bang than the others. Here’s why you should be excited about Hi-Fi Rush.
Game to the Beat
The game, developed by Tango Gameworks, is an action-adventure game with a heavy influence of rhythm. Its protagonist is Chai, a wannabe rockstar that desires to attend Vandelay Academy. While making his way through the lively campus, an unfortunate incident changed him as a “defect.”
He can hear the world’s rhythm with a music player as his heart and his new mechanical magnetizing arm. This ability has made him a dangerous target and a threat to the plans of the Vandelay corporation. Now he must survive the assault from the corporate team while figuring out their suspicious main scheme.
The Flow of the Game
There are two ways to play the explosive game. One method is to play like a standard action game and mash buttons to a player’s content. It’s an ok strategy, but standard and dull. The suggested way to play is to match the button mashing to the music’s tempo. Fighting in rhythm offers excellent rewards and benefits to Chai. Players gain extra buffs such as more damage, health, and special attacks.
Combat is similar to other action games like Devil May Cry. The amount of combat options continues to increase as the game progresses, letting the player express their fighting styles. Of course, the enemy also follows the same rhythm tempo and attacks to the same beats. It’s up to the player to use the flow of music to avoid and counter enemy attacks. Each battle and stage will judge the player based on the following: fighting in rhythm tempo, how long the battle last, and how stylish Chai performs. If a crowd cheers for Chai during battle, he’s performing very well.
Aesthetics of the Music in Hi-Fi Rush
The whole game takes place on the Vandelay campus. It’s much bigger than anticipated to show off the corporation’s ambitions. Chai must explore each corporate section to uncover the secrets to their plans and their reason for attacking him.
The OST is based on rock n roll influence that follows a sixteen-beat rhythm tempo. Everything in the game follows by beat: level design, enemy attacks, and Chai’s actions. Every stage has its array of songs to play, both licensed and unlicensed. The game was designed to use unlicensed music for streaming purposes. This feature protects streamers from DMCA while showcasing such musical action.
For players who aren’t accustomed to rhythm games, you can use the music accessibility options. Rhythm visualization can be changed to make the world’s tempo more noticeable. A small bot hovers over Chai as a miniature metronome for him to stay on beat. Rhythm assist is another option that makes a different metronome play the rhythm tempo much more explicitly below the screen. Chai will snap to the beat when standing still, letting players recognize the level’s flow.
The game appeals to players who like action, music, and cartoony scenarios. Hi-Fi Rush can be an enjoyable, learning experience for players interested in the genre or music.
The game’s release date was after the Xbox Developer Direct on 25 January on Steam and Xbox Series X/S. Its soundtrack can be found on Spotify for anyone interested.
